Shoe.



H. 1VI0MASTER.

SHOE.

APPLIO'ATION FILED MAY 21, 09.

948,338. Patented Feb.8, 1910.

IN VEN TOR along the edge of the openin UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY MQMASTER, OF. DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 21,

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

1909. Serial No. 497,402.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known, that I, HENRY MCMASTER a citizen of the Unit-ed States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoes,

of which the following is a specification,

to as to prevent the dirt, water, etc., from getting into the shoe along the edges of the tongue, the tongue being so constructed and attached to the shoe as to take up but little space beneath the lacing, said tongue being detachable along one side to give suflicient room to insert the footinto the shoe without hindrance.

To this end the invention consists in the construction substantially as described and particularly pointed out in the'claim, refer ence being had to. the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a shoe embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the tongue closed and the shoe laced up; and Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective showing a portion of a shoe with the tongue unfastened to permit the insertion of the foot into the shoe.

I am aware that shoes have been made with their tongues sewed to the shoe upper along both edges throughout their lengths. In such constructions the tongue must be made very wide in order to permit the wearer to insert his foot in the shoe, and when the shoe is laced up the tongue is folded beneath the lacings and takes up a great deal of space, and owing to the folding, it is liable to hurt and chafe the wearers instep.

In the construction shown in the accompanying drawing the tongue A is secured to the shoe upper B along one of its edges C throughout its length, and at its opposite edge it is securely sewed to the shoe upper about onehalf of the way up from the ower end of the opening, or to the point D. From the point D upward the tongue is not sewed to the shoe upper at that side but is provided near its upper end with one memeber of a snap-fastening E the other member of the fastening being applied to the shoe up er B near the top of the shoe. The edge (1 is sewed to the shoe upper along the edge of the front opening therein with its edge eX- tendii1g inward from the edge of said. open-- ing, and the opposite edge of the tongue is turned outward so that the member of the fastener on the free portion of said edge may be readily engaged with the uiem her on the shoe upper. By securing the tongue to the shoe with its edge extending inward, it will take up ,but little roombeneath the lacing, and by providing the tongue with the snap-fastening to secure its detachable edge in place, the necessit for making the tongue very wide in or er'that the wearer may insert his foot is obviated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

In a shoe the combination with an upper having a lacing opening, of a tongue one of whose margins underlies one of the margins at the opening of the upper, and is secured at its edge thereto throughout its length, and the other of the tongue margins is free and is adapted to underlie the opposite opening margin throughout its length when the shoe is secured on the wearer, and is provided with a reverted flap throughout its length that is secured along its inner edge to the free margin of the tongue, and is permanently fastened along its outer edge for the lower major portion of its length to thesaid opposite opening margin, the

tongue and flap being less in width than the opening of the shoe when the opening is extended, and a snap fastening on the free corners of the flap and upper for detachably-securing them in overlapping relation, the flap and tongue being adapted to form asubstantially dust-proof closure when secured to. the upper.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' l HENRY McMASTER. Witnesses:

O'r'ro F. BARTHEL,

ANNA M. DORR. 

